Reclaiming the Church

by John B. Cobb Jr.

Book Overview

What has happened to the once robust mainline church in the United States? Decrying the professionalization of theological education, Cobb calls for the church to return to its theological vocation so... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0664257208
• ISBN13: 9780664257200
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 110 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Theological reflection for lay people

I am a great admirer of John Cobb, Jr. I chose this book as an optional reading for a Doctor of Ministry class at the seminary where I teach. As one who teaches approaches to theological reflection, I totally concur with John Cobb that members of local congregations must regain their role in theologizing and not leave that role only to professional theologians and clergy.

Honest to God's People: Is Church's sickness unto death?

"This book undertakes both to diagnose the current sickness of the church and to propose a remedy." Book's Preface The New Ecumen: The geographical shift of Christianity, with increasing numbers of believers in developing countries, has played a part focusing more on religious persecution. The typical Anglican, is no longer a tea-drinking English vicar, but a young African mother. the churche left a main part of its ministry to 'Faith-based groups' who use a sophisticated array of tactics in the pursuit of their human cause. Pressure is applied through legislative measures, petitions, protests, international campaigns, and stock divestment in companies that are seen to support repressive regimes.(from:Religion's Role in Human Rights) Exhortation to Honesty: Dr. John Cobb, who challenged Christians to think, while keeping his other foot in the Church, exhorted us to find out and judge for ourselves, if salvation, into eternal life as defined by Jesus; "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God," then how the 'misnomer oldline' church could fit into this Socio-spiritual facilitating role of "a bastion of faith, power, and commitment (To its true role)? Stopping the Decline: "Continuing decline is not, however, inevitable. We who have participated in, and contributed to, the decline can still make choices. The purpose of diagnosing a disease is to find a remedy." The Honest to Christ theologian gave a Prescription: 1. Recovering the loss of shared conviction. 2. Responding to the loss of cultural props. 3. Realizing God at Work in Transformation. 4. Continuing repentence to realise unity. 5. sharing with people 'A renewed vision of God'. Cobb mutual Engaging: "Honest and provocative, 'Reclaiming The Church', will both disturb and inspire those who care about the face of main line churches." Back cover. If this book is written to help our dying churches can yet have new life, cobb's proposal should find the Psalmist ear that; "Today you would listen to his voice." Ps 95:7. So when we hear him, we should not harden our hearts, but repint. This applies to churches in the USA and abroad, mainstream and peripheral, Orthodox and Catholic as much and even more so than reformed and Protestant. Lord Have Mercy. Lord Help Us. Amen.